Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine The Chronicles of Narnia: The Movie

Discuss!

Never read any of these, although I've heard a little about them here and there.

What's the premise? Will I like it?

In case you don't remember, I LOVED the Harry Potter books and am I big Veritgo fan if that helps...

Heh. I knew nothing about this either

Read LWW when I was a kid, and enjoyed it (although I didn't read any of the other books for years. Still haven't read the last two). The adaptation to date that sticks in my head, tho, is the live-action BBC one from something like 10 years ago (Still got the double-VHS of that somewhere), so it'll be interesting for me to compare the two.

LWW? Four siblings (two boys, two girls) get evacuated to a big house in the country during WW2. While they're exploring it one day, the youngest kid (Lucy) finds a magic wardrobe that she can walk right through into Narnia, a country where there's no humans, but most of the animals are Talking Beasts. She meets a faun, he takes her home for dinner, but although he was ordered by the White Witch (evil ruler of the land, who keeps the land in perpetual winter) to turn over any humans (there's a prophecy that when two "Sons of Adam" and two "Daughters of Eve" are crowned on the Four Thrones of Cair Paravel, she'll be rendered powerless [or die, I forget]) to her, he can't go through with it & helps her home. And, since she arrives back less than a second after she left and the wardrobe seemingly doesn't work, none of the others believe her.

She tries again, on her own, later, and gets through again. But this time Edmund (next-youngest) follows her, meaning to taunt her and actually makes it in too. He meets the White Witch and gets enthralled. Lucy meets him on their way back, but he denies all knowledge of Narnia to the others.

Eventually, all four get in (they're trying to hide from the housekeeper who doesn't like them), and cue the rest (what, you thought I'd spoil it all? )

I kind of like hearing about things like this when they're well into the seventh book. This way I don't have to wait for the next one

I'm dying for the next Harry Potter and the next Camulod Chronicles installments...

From the pictures I saw all the kids look spot on. Although I think "Lucy" looks a bit too young.

Narnia! Yay! Alsan rocks and roars! Woo!

Thanks 'boot! I'm interested a little already, and I'm thinking of starting a new series of books...

Well then, you're all set. There's only seven books in Lewis's Narnia Chronicles and there will never be any more ('cause he's dead, and 'cause he ended the series very nicely in book seven). However, you should make an effort to read the books in the order in which they were written. Lewis didn't tell the story of Narnia in a strictly chronological progression and I think that works for the overall story. The original order of publication is as follows:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
A Horse and his Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle

Though Magician's Nephew is chronologically first, LWW is really the introduction to the series, and MN is mostly there to give you, finally, the background on Narnia that puts the previous books into a larger perspective and sets the stage for the final book. HahB chronologically happens during LWW, but the flow of stories from LWW through SC shouldn't be interrupted. Later editors have reordered the books into the chronological order, but I think that's a disservice to the series and the readers.

In general, the Chronicles of Narnia is a wonderful, uplifting story for all ages. I credit it for my on-going love of fantastic fiction more than any other influence.

CK, they were written by C.S. Lewis. Recently, they've been republished in an order more in line with the overall story's chronology, not the order in which he wrote them. However, Lewis does an incredible job of creating awe in his first book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

It's a great series set in a fantastical realm where animals think and talk along with humans, where magical creatures are the norm, and people are a rare breed. There's been talk of Christian undertones, but the age group of kids these were written for won't necessarily pick them up. It's Harry Potter for a more innocent, less jaded time.

There's seven books, you could finish them in a month. It's worth the effort.

Okay, so DL is faster than I am.


I was first introduced in a PBS animated feature some 20 years ago. It made me track down the books. I never saw the BBC versions, and haven't been able to locate the animated feature.

Manoman, this has made my week!!!!!

IMO, A Horse and his Boy, although set in Narnia and with cameos by the other characters is the one book that could stand on its own.

I've only seen LWW of the BBC adapations - although I've seen stills from Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader, so I know they did at least those two as well). Apart from Aslan (and a few cel-animated background creatures), it's all guys-in-suits for the animals, but I still enjoyed it

LWW itself could certainly stand on it's own as well, even if the sequels were never made (cue "as if"s ). But yeah, Horse and His Boy is extremely tangential (more of a "Narnian Universe" story than an outright Narnia tale.) And I don't like humans being introduced into the Narnian past in Magican's Nephew

I've recently seen both the animated version and the BBC live action version available on DVD. A real nice boxed set was produced for the BBC version. The BBC version, though, only covered four books; LWW, Prince Caspian, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the Silver Chair. PC and VofDT were done as one production.

I once read that the Narnia books should be read three times in a person’s life span. First when they are young and can still believe in fanciful places and people, second as they reach adulthood and are capable of understanding what the books are trying to communicate, and third before they die to rediscover their childhood and innocence.

Well I read them when I was younger and again about a year ago as I transition from college student to quasi-adult. I do have to say that LWW has a huge biblical undertone, something I would never have seen when I was younger. And reading the books actually did help me understand what was going on in my life and appreciate what is to come.

My favorites would have to be Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. And I remember reading the Last Battle and feeling sad that I would never get to read about Narnia again. Guess that will be the same feeling when the last harry Potter book comes out.

I just love the Narnia series.

Though C.S. Lewis is mainly known for his writings on Christianity, he sure knew how to spin a great kids' fantasy yarn. I HIGHLY recommend these seven books for anyone who is looking for something new to read. I also agree with Director Lad that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the place to begin the series, even though now the publishers are putting The Magician's Nephew first in the series. I think The Magician's Nephew works best in flashback, as it was intended. There are a lot of characters and a lot of interactions in the saga, but let's face it: the central human character in the series is Lucy, and she deserves to be the focal point of that first book.

I think my fave book is still The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Christian overtones and all,) but A Horse and His Boy is certainly a lovely, lovely tale.

My favorite moment is when Lucy finds the book of magic in the upstairs hall of the magician in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Especially the story she reads there that she can never remember again. Lyrical, beautiful stuff, and we never even get to find out a word of it.

My least favorite character is probably Jill. I just never felt for her like I felt for the other children. My favorite character is Reepicheep. And the eventual fate of Susan is one of the saddest things ever to be found in a book. I hope somehow she found her way back to Narnia in the end.

Narnia is just great.

Narnia is a great place. Written in a simpler time and, especially in the LWW, the four are definatly upper middle class British. This series introduced me to fantasy and led ultimatley to the Lord of the Rings. Both are fully rounded worlds with a history and background that informs and colours the stories.

One thing I liked was the way in which the "evil" races are not totally evil (like the orcs in LOTR) but indivduals make choices between good and bad.

Also there is, in Horse and his boy I think, a plea not to hate other religions, for if a good perosn worships the devil figure then he is worshiping Aslan and vice Versa an evil person worshiping Aslan, is really worshiping the devil. (Now whats was that bird headed deity called?)

i loved "TLTWATW" as a kid, and cried when ASLAN died !!! although i didn't read any of the other ones, and i haven't seen the BBC version, only the animated one !!!

if this new version has a good budget, it should be really good !!!

i remember as a child climbing into my parents wardrobe [ many times ] in the hope it would lead me to NANIA .....

Matthew.

My God did I love these books!

I got chills down my back reading some of the other responses on here! Its fanatastic to know that other people were as deeply affected by these books as I was. I think 'The Magicians Nephew' was probably the first book that I can conciously rememeber reading on my own without my mother there to help me. And I loved it! I loved them all! And I loved them just as much the second time I read them a couple of years ago. SOOOOO worth taking the time to read them if anyone here hasn't yet!

My favourite is still probably 'The Magician's Nephew' (and I'm not sure if I agree with those comments that this book shouldn't be read first - I liked seeing how all the little elements of this one came into play in the later ones) with 'Voyage of the Dawn-Treader', 'A Horse and his Boy' and 'The Last Battle' all coming in a close second.

This comment by Prime stands out to me -

- I couldn't agree more! I was heart-broken by what happened to Susan! It was so, so utterly sad and yet so horribly true-to-life. We do all grow up and forget the magic of our childhoods. Its the huge injustice of life. But the last book was just really sad all round. You know there's not going to be any more books when...

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... everyone dies!

I'm really looking forward to the films!

All I have to say is if Heaven truly exists, gosh, I hope it's like the last chapters of The Last Battle (the final book in the series.)

This is truly a magnificent series.

They can seem simplistic, but there is so much depth to what happens, it's amazing.

I want to get these out and read them again now...

They start out simplistic (TLWW) but grow as the reader would. For HAHB, we readers have to form some of our own conclusions on morality, as well as learn to question the status quo. And in the Last Battle, we learn that good things do come to an end. And that growing up doesn't mean losing some of the wonder of youth.

It's said that Lewis wrote these for himself. He wanted to recapture the joy he felt reading as a kid. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job.

But TLTWATW is a much deeper work than it appears to be on the surface as well.

I would really, really like to try Turkish Delight one of these days.

Rumour has it, they are the best cure for the common cold...